the word CONVENIENCE is destroying the natural world learning to live more in harmony with nature

Author: Distil Ennui | Post Date: 05-12-2021

I truly believe that the word ‘convenience’ has and is continuing to destroy our natural world, we must learn to shed this concept and live more in harmony rather than forcing our will upon the world.

image courtesy - copyright Australian Museum

One simple change that can have a vast impact on this very conversation is that it is convenient to buy a plastic bottle of water during your day, rather than carry a ‘life-can’ and refilling it with filtered water. Over 90% of bottled (mineral) water sold today is in fact just filtered tap water at best, with no health benefit aside of it being plain water. However the footprint from the packaging, logistics and industry alone to support the 'convenient lifestyle' of being able to buy a plastic bottle of water rather than carry your own is vast. There is also a huge amount of data that consumption from plastic containers is wreaking havoc on your health, whilst this is a separate thread for conversation - you can read this from the EcoWatch.com resources.

'The Naive Twins' recycled aluminium sculptural works, 19 x 6.5 cms

True sustainability for me is the capacity to endure in a relatively ongoing way across various domains of life. The capacity for Earth's biosphere and human civilisation to co-exist. For many sustainability is defined through the interconnected domains of environment, economy and society.

According to Our Common Future (Brundtland Report published in 1987 by the United Nations), sustainable development is defined as development that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

Moving towards true sustainability of course will involve social challenges that entail international and national law, urban planning, transportation, supply-chain management, local and individual lifestyles and ethical consumerism. Ways of living more sustainably can take many forms, such as:

• reorganising living conditions (e.g., ecovillages, eco-municipalities, and sustainable cities)

• reappraising economic sectors (permaculture, green building, sustainable agriculture) or work practices (sustainable architecture)

• using science to develop new technologies such as green technologies, waste technologies, renewable energy and exciting possibility of sustainable fission and fusion power

• designing systems in a flexible and reversible manner

• adjusting individual lifestyles to conserve natural resources, personal choices that make a difference

Despite the increased popularity of the use of the term "sustainability”, the possibility that human societies will achieve true environmental sustainability has been, and continues to be, questioned—in light of environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, climate change, overconsumption, population growth and societies' pursuit of unlimited economic growth in a closed system.

Right now the worlds attention is on COP26 united Nations Climate Conference in November this year, I hope this time political leaders will act on the decisions made and not let the moment pass as before with AICHI BioDiversity Targets set in 2010, none of which were met by a single country present at the table. I was there in Tokyo in 2010 advocating for change, as indeed I am there again this year presenting a piece titled ‘Enjoy’ to President Biden. A molotov coke bottle bomb made from 1,000 recycled coke cans rescued from land fill.

molotov petrol bomb 'Enjoy' in the form of a coke bottle made from recycled coca cola cans

now that you are here, please lets stay connected...
Join the mailing list..   Register
Telegram Channel..   DistilEnnui
Instagram..   AJHamilton.Artist
Twitter..      DistilEnnui